Somewhat editorial post..

  In Nov. of '07, I was contemplating a way to justify leaving for warmer
climates.  The Northwest is wonderful during most of the year, but in my
part of it, a few of the winter months are very wet, gray and depressing, so
we try to head out.
  This past winter, my S.O. took a job in the California desert, hoping to
free up her summer by working hard all winter and saving the bucks.   Her
employer mentioned he needed a carpenter, part time...so I tossed some tools
into my Van and headed out, hoping to at least pay for my fuel by pounding a
few nails for this guy.
  But then I also did some math on some of our anticipated expenses:  We
both needed eye exams, I knew I needed new prescription glasses and also
some further dental work.  Doing the math showed me that I could bank about
$400 by going into Mexico to have this health care done...That is, I saved
enough by going down there in the van, spending about 4 months camping and
then driving home with all the health care done and $400 left over!
  I also worked for about 2 months down there.  I hope to not have to work
this summer up here using the money I made while on my expenses paid vanagon
outing..

  So really,  if you use your Vanagon wisely, you can save a bunch of cash
and even make some money..  Roughly, we saved about $1500 this year by
getting our glasses (four pairs and two eye exams) and dentistry done across
the border..It cost me about $600 coming and going.  I had a couple of
months of enjoyable desert free time and fun camping and riding my bike.  We
shut off the power to the house here, put the phones on vacation rate and
had some fun in the vanagon..Well, Marie, my SO also has a camp trailer that
she leaves down there, so it wasn't all Vanagon, but still..

  Off topic, for the most part, but the versatility and economy of the
Vanagon makes an extended "on the road" lifestyle easy to pull off, that is
on topic.
  Don Hanson